ALBANY COUNTY — On Saturday morning, Sheriff Craig Apple stood at a lectern in the county courthouse with eight people in a semicircle standing on either side of him, each with their hands folded in front of them, as the sheriff praised them for their work in quickly arresting a suspect in the Wednesday morning murder of Philip L. Rabadi.

“We’re glad that, within 48 hours, these investigators worked tirelessly to get a warrant [to] put this person in custody,” Apple told the press.

Jacob Klein, 40, whom Apple said had ties to the area and to the victim’s wife, Ellie Radin, is now in custody in Virginia, charged with second-degree murder. More charges are expected in the ongoing investigation, Apple said.

Klein will be arraigned by a federal judge on Monday and is expected to be brought to Albany by mid-week or later in the week, Apple said.

Philip Rabadi’s family wrote in his obituary, “He was kind, endlessly charismatic, funny, intelligent, patient, and an immediate friend to all.” A graduate of Guilderland High School, Rabadi received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University at Albany and went on to the Albany Medical College physician assistant program.

Rabadi and his wife worked together in the same practice as surgical physician assistants at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany “and sincerely loved working with one another,” the obituary said. “They missed each other if the other wasn’t at work that day. Anyone who was privileged enough to know the two of them as a pair knows what a special, extraordinarily deep bond and love they have.”

Rabadi, 35, was found dead in his home at 120 Miller Road in New Scotland on Wednesday afternoon after he failed to show up for his job at St. Peter’s Hospital, Apple said. 

His wife, who had left for work that morning — Rabadi was not scheduled to work until later — had called for a welfare check and then arrived at their Miller Road home along with Rabadi’s father, Shaw Rabadi, at about the same time as a sheriff’s deputy arrived, Apple said.

“A check of the residence revealed the victim deceased on the garage floor, bound, and with multiple stab wounds and mutilation to his body,” Apple said.

Apple would not comment on Klein’s motive, but said that Klein, a Virginia resident, had ties to Rabadi’s wife and to the area. Klein is also a physician assistant, he said.

“Investigators developed the suspect within hours …,” Apple said, “and began conducting search warrants, interviews, and reviewing license-plate readers and all surveillance cameras in the area. In a short period of time, investigators had issued six subpoenas and 11 search warrants.”

Klein, who had driven to the area from Virginia, had been stalking Rabadi three days prior to the murder, Apple said. “Investigators were able to track all of Jacob Klein’s movements while he was here in the Albany area with assistance from the FBI and the Albany Crime Analysis Center,” he said.

The New York State Police Forensic Identification Unit processed the crime scene and the vehicle Klein had used while in the Albany area, he said, and the state police dive team checked local bodies of water near the crime scene for additional evidence.

On Friday evening, Klein was arrested about a half-mile inside the state of Virginia, coming from Tennessee on Interstate 40, Apple said.

Apple thanked the various agencies involved in the investigation as well as the Miller Road neighbors who were witnesses or supplied surveillance videos.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is urged to call the sheriff's office at 518-765-2352.

A handgun was found in Klein’s vehicle, Apple said, which will be traced. “I’m sure that this case will be dragged out for a while,” he said.